Cook County Situation Report

Flood Tips

If you're headed out on the roads during rain storms that could cause flooding, please keep these tips in mind.

Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling.

A foot of water will float many vehicles.

Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including SUVs and pick-ups.

Do not attempt to drive through a flooded road. The depth of water is not always obvious. The road bed may be washed out under the water and you could be stranded or trapped.

Do not drive around a barricade, as they are there for your protection. Turn around and go the other way.

If evacuation routes have been designated, do not try to take short cuts. They may be blocked.

Be especially cautious driving at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.

Do not drive into flooded areas. If flood waters rise around your vehicle, abandon it and move to higher ground, if you can do so safely.

NEWS OF THE DAY

July 06, 2018 (National)Mazda recalls 270,000 vehicles over Takata airbagsMazda is recalling nearly 270,000 vehicles with Takata airbags that have the potential to explode. Chemicals used to inflate the air bags can deteriorate in some conditions, causing them to deploy with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister that can result in flying shrapnel. The potentially deadly defect can be found in passenger-side airbags on certain 2003-2008 Mazda6, 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6 and 2004 MPV vehicles nationwide. It also involves 2005-2006 MPV models in certain states. Over the last several years, about 50 million air bag inflators have been recalled in the U.S., with 22 deaths and more than 180 injuries linked to the defect. Takata has since been bought by Chinese-owned U.S. mobility safety company Key Safety System.

July 06, 2018 (Chicago)Chief: Chicago police seize about 1 illegal gun every hourChicago officers seize, on average, one illegal handgun per hour and the proliferation of guns on the streets prompted three police-involved shootings within 30 hours this week, according to the city's police superintendent. Eddie Johnson told WBBM-TV Wednesday that Chicago police recover more illegal guns than officers in New York City and Los Angeles combined. Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks during a news conference Wednesday, April 5, 2017, in Chicago.

The first shooting occurred Monday evening in the South Shore neighborhood. A 17-year-old male was shot by an officer who said the teen pointed a gun at him. Officers also shot armed men on Tuesday and Wednesday on the city's West Side. A suspect was killed in the incident Tuesday and a 21-year-old suspect was arrested on Wednesday. Weapons were recovered in all three shootings, according to the police department. Johnson said some people are brazen in their willingness to confront police. "We can never understate the national narrative, the anti-police narrative," Johnson said. "That's out there and I think some of these individuals think that, that is going to justify their actions and it just doesn't."